Novelty box



A. E- RU FFIN arch 28, 1950 NOVELTY BOX Filed March 28, 1947 Patented Mar. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NOVELTY BOX Andrew E. Rufiin, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application March 28, 1947, serial No. 137,917

2 Claims.

My invention relates to boxes and more particularly to novelty boxes.

The object of my invention is to provide a box the sides and the top of which are made of picture postal cards, so that the inside and outside surfaces of said walls and said top are adorned with the views and scenes usually exhibited on picture postal cards.

Another object of my invention is to convert picture postal cards, which otherwise would be thrown away, into a useful and ornamental lasting souvenir.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novelty box of the class described equipped with a descriptive list of the cards forming the walls and the top of said box. Other objects of my invention may appear in the following specification describing it with reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention.

It is however, to be understood, that my invention is not to be limited or restricted to the exact construction and combination of parts described in the specification and shown in the drawing, but that such changes and modifications can be made, which fall within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a novelty box according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the box shown in Figure l, a part of the card forming the inner surface of the end wall being torn away to show the construction of the box.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, the novelty box forming the subject matter of my invention has two longitudinal bottom frame members In and II respectively made from light wood or any other suitable material. The body of each of these members has a substantially rectangular cross-section, but the outer lower edge of each member is rounded, as shown at 12 in Figure 2.

Each bottom frame member has an upwardly extending longitudinal tongue [3 formed on the upper surface of its body and arranged at a short distance inwardly from the outside surface of said body, so that a longitudinal shoulder I4 is formed by the body and the upwardly extending tongue.

On the inside surface of each longitudinal bottom frame member In and II an inwardly extending longitudinal tongue i5 is provided, arranged at a short distance above the bottom surface of the body of said member forming a longitudinal shoulder IS on said body.

The novelty box according to my invention, has two transverse bottom and frame members I! having cross-sections of the same shape as the longitudinal bottom frame members. The transiii verse members H are secured to the end portions of the longitudinal bottom frame members IE] and i i in any preferred manne to form a rectangular bottom frame.

Corner posts [8 are fastened on top of and at each corner of the bottom frame and extend at right angles upwardly therefrom. Two longitudinal top frame members l9 are secured to and extend horizontally between the two corresponding corner posts H8. The body of these longitudinal side frame members 19 are substantially rectangular and centrally of the under side of each longitudinal top frame member it; a downwardly protruding longitudinally extending bead 2D is arranged forming an outer shoulder 25 and an inner shoulder 22. Two transverse top frame members 23, having the same cross-section as the longitudinal top frame members 19 are secured to and extend horizon tally between the corner posts I8.

Intermediate the longitudinal top frame member i9 and the longitudinal bottom frame members H2 and l I stiffener bars 2 3 are secured to the corner posts It and extend horizontally between them. The thickness of the stiffener bars 24, and the tongues 26 and [3 respectively is the same.

Intermediate the longitudinal bottom frame members it and Ii a stiffener bar 25 extends between and is secured to the transverse bottom frame members H. The thickness of this stiffener bar is equal to the thickness of the tongues 15.

A cover frame consists of two longitudinal members 26 and two transverse members 21 having upper and lower shoulders 28 and 29 respectively formed on their inner surfaces by tongues 30 extending longthwise of said members.

A stiffener bar 3| is arranged intermediate the longitudinal cover frame members 26.

A diagonal extending stiffener bar 32 is arranged at the ends of the box between the corresponding corner posts 13.

Picture postal cards 33 or the like are placed in the cover frame, and between the longitudinal r box frame members on the inside and outside thereof and are secured to the corresponding tongues and the stiffener bars. A picture card can also be arranged in the same manner on the inside of the bottom of the box. The two ends of the box are equipped with parts 34 of picture postal cards or the like.

On the underside of the bottom of the box a descriptive list of the points illustrated by the postal cards secured on the frame work of the box may be arranged.

The cover frame is hingedly attached to one of tlge longitudinal top frame members It as shown a 35.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A pictorial box comprising, a pair of vertically disposed side frames arranged in parallel spaced relation with respect to each other, an end frame interposed between said side frames adjacent the ends of the latter and fixedly secured to said ends, another end frame interposed between said side frames adjacent the other ends of the latter and fixedly secured to said other ends, said side frames and end frames forming a multi-sided open-ended box, a horizontally disposed frame resting upon the upper end of said box and mounted adjacent a side of the latter for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, means on each of said side and horizontally disposed frames for supporting pictorial cards therein, at least one pair of pictorial cards each having on one surface thereof a pictorial image, said cards positioned in parallel spaced relation with respect to each other and mounted on said supporting means within said horizontally disposed frame and the open bottom and walls of said multi-sided box, each pair of said cards mounted on said frames forming inner and outer walls for said box, the pictorial cards forming said inner walls having the pictorial surfaces thereof facing inwardly, and the pictorial cards forming said outer walls having the pictorial surfaces thereof facing outwardly.

2. A pictorial box comprising, a pair of vertically disposed side frames arranged in parallel spaced relation with respect to each other, an end frame interposed between said side frames adjacent the ends of the latter and fixedly secured to said ends, another end frame interposed between said side frames adjacent the other ends of the latter and fixedly secured to said other ends, said side frames and end frames forming a multi-sided open-ended box, a horizontally disposed frame resting upon the upper end of said box and mounted adjacent a side of the latter for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, means on each of said side and horizontally disposed frames for supporting pictorial cards therein, said last named means comprising stiflener bars positioned intermediate of each 01 said side and horizontally disposed frames, at least one pair of pictorial cards each having on one surface thereof a pictorial image, said cards positioned in parallel spaced relation with respect to each other and mounted on said supporting means within said horizontally disposed frame and the open bottom and walls of said multisided box, each pair of said cards mounted on said frames forming inner and outer walls for said box, the pictorial cards forming said inner walls having the pictorial surfaces thereof facing inwardly, and the pictorial cards forming said outer walls having the pictorial surfaces thereof facing outwardly.

ANDREW E. RUFFIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,224,443 Brindley May 1, 1917 1,940,328 Schrotenboe'r Dec. 19, 1933 1,977,679 Kreider, Jr. Oct. 23, 1934 2,024,091 Colgate Dec. 10, 1935 2,177,933 Boeye Oct. 31, 1939 2,179,843 Copeland Nov. 14, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 5119/26 Australia Dec. 8, 1926 

